Albrechtsburg Castle
Albrechtsburg Castle
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle, the oldest in Germany, towers majestically over the Elbe River Valley. At the end of the 15th century, Arnold von Westfalen oversaw the construction of an impressive castle - a masterful structure - that continues to set trends and amaze people to this day with its architectural solutions and designs. Following a ruling made by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony an King of Poland, the first European porcelain manufactory was established at Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle in 1710, when the "white gold" began its triumphant march to Europe and the rest of the wold. Impressive exhibits are displyed in the castle rooms across three floors, breathing new life into the castle´s history with modern and interactive presentations.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
453 reviews
Excellent
281
Very good
135
Average
32
Poor
4
Terrible
1
Catherine P
Canberra79 contributions
Aug 2024 • Solo
I spent several hours inside the castle enjoying the fabulous decor - beautifully painted walls, magnificent arched ceilings, unique door handles on every door and the most magnificent staircases. It's not often you see a castle with windows that let in lots of light and think, "Yes, I could see myself living quite comfortably here."
I had a bit of trouble buying my ticket as I don't speak German, so I had no idea if I bought a ticket to the castle and the "dom" or not.
Note: you have to pay €2 extra to take photos.
Fun fact -in Germany they close the doors, so as a non German it's always a little confusing knowing whether the doors are to be opened to another room that's part of the ticket price or to...the great unknown. Tip- just turn the magnificent door handles and wander on in and wait to see if you get sternly told off.
Negative - there were signs for a gift shop and cafe but even though I finished up around 3pm, I was told they were closed. I have no idea if they ever open. That remains a mystery.
There's lots of stairs. Stretch your calf muscles before going in.
I had a bit of trouble buying my ticket as I don't speak German, so I had no idea if I bought a ticket to the castle and the "dom" or not.
Note: you have to pay €2 extra to take photos.
Fun fact -in Germany they close the doors, so as a non German it's always a little confusing knowing whether the doors are to be opened to another room that's part of the ticket price or to...the great unknown. Tip- just turn the magnificent door handles and wander on in and wait to see if you get sternly told off.
Negative - there were signs for a gift shop and cafe but even though I finished up around 3pm, I was told they were closed. I have no idea if they ever open. That remains a mystery.
There's lots of stairs. Stretch your calf muscles before going in.
Written August 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pavel
Budapest, Hungary42 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
The castle is beautiful from the outside, especially the view of the town under. But the interiors and museum are not worth it. It is practically empty with only the beautiful walls (the paintings, the vault…), but no furniture and no exhibits.
The historypad is trying to compensate for this via animations of the historical scenes. Much better would be, if they modelled those scenes directly with figurines and furniture. I missed normal audioguide or guided tour. There is plenty of text on the historypad, but it disturbs from actually living the moment and feeling the place and its walls. Also the tablet is too heavy to comfortably walk with it 3 floors.
Beautiful castle, but do not ho inside. There are just empty walls and a historypad and it is ridiculously overpriced (16 EUR).
The historypad is trying to compensate for this via animations of the historical scenes. Much better would be, if they modelled those scenes directly with figurines and furniture. I missed normal audioguide or guided tour. There is plenty of text on the historypad, but it disturbs from actually living the moment and feeling the place and its walls. Also the tablet is too heavy to comfortably walk with it 3 floors.
Beautiful castle, but do not ho inside. There are just empty walls and a historypad and it is ridiculously overpriced (16 EUR).
Written October 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vadim Ohanyan
Yerevan, Armenia311 contributions
Feb 2020
This is really beautiful place, the first castle in Germany constructed and used as a palace. It has rich history, very important for Saxony and for Germany. In 1710 the first European porcelain manufacture was founded in the castle. Now you can enjoy beautiful interiors and learn about the history. As the castle is built at a top of the hill, you can also enjoy breathtaking view over the Elbe valley. The time nedded for a tour is 2-3 hours.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martha
Cheshire, UK208 contributions
Feb 2020
Not going to lie, the castle was fairly boring. Not much really that captivated me; i've been to better castles. But the cafe was great and the slipper room at the start was hella fun, even though that's not really the point. Wouldn't visit again if i was ever in Meissen, but glad i did it.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jen B
London, UK171 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
I was given a Histopad which is kind of your own personal iPad. There are many different languages available and when you hold the Histopad over a particular circle in the room it show you what the room would have looked like in the 1400's, 1800's and today. Lots of history about the different kings and queens, architects, painters etc. There is also a film to see in German with English subtitles. Very well thought out and put together.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pauline S
Oxfordshire, UK195 contributions
Jun 2023
This was a huge palace with many rooms and routes. Consequently it took a lot longer to explore than we were expecting. It was great fun 'skating' round the parquet floored room with oversized polishing slippers. Well worth visit.
Written June 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beatriz M
Düsseldorf, Germany5,677 contributions
Feb 2022 • Friends
It is impressive that such a small city has such a big and beautiful castle. I think the best view is from the other side of the bridge. When you are up above actually the view is not so special. But it is a lovely city!
Written February 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GalivantingGardener
Sans Souci, Australia376 contributions
After a hearty breakfast buffet at our B&B in Moritzburg, we enjoyed a beautiful scenic drive into Meissen. Along the way, we made a stop at a roadside park/garden in the centre of Weinburg. As we left Weinburg, we could see Meissen in the distance, with the double spires of the gothic Meissen Cathedral dominating the town. It was directly under those gothic spires, that we were able to find a parking spot, around 8:30am. Meissen's Albrechtsburg Castle didn't open until 10am, where we had hoped to see the murals highlighting the early history of the castle when it was first established through Konrad the Great, from the House of Wettin. Several of these paintings are devoted to events from the lives of the two men who originally had the castle built, Ernst and Albrecht von Wettin. Included in these pictures, of special interest to me, depict the Saxon "Prinzenraub" (princes’ kidnapping), probably the most famous child abduction ever in Saxony. Unfortunately, as we were trying to see as much as humanly possible, and visit Dresden as well, we opted for a "walking tour" instead. We meandered through alleyways, under stone arches, down ancient stairways, as we enjoyed the magnificent vistas that Meissen had to offer. Around each corner, there presented new "photo" opportunities to capture such history and beauty! We made our way down to the Market Square, looked into some of the many shops, including one that sold the famous Meissen porcelain. Meissen is known as the "city of porcelain" ... and the history of the early makers of this so-called "white gold" who were virtually held prisoner here, is so intriguing. We enjoyed an early lunch at one of Meissen's charming, hearty, and traditional restaurants, sitting on a raised terrace that was virtually covered in vines and had windowboxes brimming with fresh flowers. It was a perfect setting of Germanic charm, to enjoy ample portions of Saxon food, while sipping one of Meissen's fine wines produced in nearby vineyards of the Elbe valley..."Prost!"
Written April 4, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John B
Westwood, MA168 contributions
Jul 2019
We took the train from Dresden. There are three stops in Meissen. We got off at the second one and took a tram into town. The route is the same for all trams from the station to the town center. You can buy tickets on the tram from the driver but the language barrier was an issue. A friendly police officer helped translate. We got off after passing a large stone church and were one block from the tourist info center. There is bus to the castle. It leaves from near the church. Or you can walk. We took the bus. It was a very hot day and the folks who walked looked exhausted. I suggest the bus. The castle is fantastic. People flock to southern Germany to see a few rooms in the castles there. Here you have an entire castle and there are few tourists. There is an English language audio guide. Clean restrooms and a gift shop. You will not be disappointed - visit this castle. (Note: In hindsight, we probably should have got off the train at the first Meissen stop and walked over the bridge into town.The only difficulty we encountered was that not too many people speak English here. But everyone is friendly and helpful).
Written August 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Subdewd72
Half Moon Bay, CA22 contributions
Sep 2013 • Couples
I think that Albrechtsburg is a must see. The layout of the audioguide made for a very tourist friendly venue. We were able to move at our own pace and have a nice relaxing tour of the castle. I loved the room with the history of the women of Saxony...very interesting.
Written September 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello!
I am flying into Schoenefeld (SXF) airport & hope to be able to arrive here by train. Do the trains run very often ? Do you recommend buying train tickets ahead of time or just buying when we get there ? or would a taxi be ok ? Thanks so much!
Written January 27, 2016
Train from Berlin Hbf to Meissen takes about 3 and a half hours. Trains seem to be every half hour, best to choose one with only one change (usually at Dresden).
Cheapest tickets are bought in advance for a specific train. Best to do this on the Deutsche Bahn website.
Written January 29, 2016
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